CAPE AREA HAS LOTS FOR TOURISTS TO DO

The new director of the Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau is looking for information from her advisory board, the community and anyone who can help her understand where the CVB is now and where it should be headed.

It is interesting that Terri Clark-Bauer is likely to hear something like this far too often: "We really don't have any big tourism draw in Cape Girardeau."

Sure, we aren't Williamsburg, Va. And we don't have either the Smithsonian or the Rocky Mountains. But big tourism draw? Cape Girardeau has a lot of pulling power. Just add it up:

-- Southeast Missouri State University may be the biggest single magnet for Cape Girardeau. Its activities and events draw thousands of people every year. And don't forget the Show Me Center.

-- Cape Girardeau is the biggest shopping center between St. Louis and Memphis. And medical facilities here draw people from well over a hundred-mile radius. Throw in more than 20 movie screens and dozens of dining opportunities, and you have quite a lot of opportunities for people to come here.

-- Our city continues to attract more and more regional and state meetings, conventions, seminars and trade shows. There are youth sports events, thanks to our fine facilities, that draw participants -- and their parents -- from a large area.

-- For those with a particular interest, try one of our fine golf courses. Or visit any of our growing number of shops featuring antiques and other specialty items.

-- The SEMO District Fair, the oldest fair in Missouri, is a huge event, which this year will feature entertainer Willie Nelson. And Trail of Tears State Park and Bollinger Mill Historic Site are nearby, along with special attractions like the Black Forest and the St. Louis Iron Mountain & Southern Railway.

-- There are a number of historic sites such as the Oliver House, the Glenn House, the historical society's museum, Old McKendree Methodist Church, the university museum, Gallery 100 and Kent Library at the university with its rare books and Faulkner collection. Something the new CVB director might want to consider is somehow coordinating the days and hours these attractions are open and spreading the word among hotel clerks, restaurant workers and convenience-story employees.

-- And please don't forget our area's too largest natural attractions, the Mississippi River and Shawnee National Forest just across the river in Illinois. There is so much that could be developed to lure more visitors here for the river, and the national forest's trails and natural wonders deserve a heck of a lot more marketing than they get.

Tourist attractions to bring people to Cape Girardeau? They're here. It's a matter of spreading the word. And sometimes that means educating ourselves and making us proud of what we have.